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Published: Sunday, December 03, 2017 @ 9:43 AMUpdated: Sunday, December 03, 2017 @ 9:42 AMBy: AP Academy Football Writer
There are affluence of affidavit to leave Ohio State and Alabama out of the Academy Football Playoff.
But the rules say the alternative board has to aces four teams, so one of them is best absolutely accepting in.
In the fourth year of the playoff, the alternative board faces its toughest best yet. A absolute controversy, one with no decidedly acceptable answer. The board will let anybody apperceive on Sunday which four teams will be arena in the New Year's Day semifinals. Three will be easy: Defending civic best Clemson, Southeastern Appointment best Georgia and Big 12 champ Oklahoma are accepting in.
Then it's ... Alabama? Or Ohio State?
Two of academy football's dejection bloods, better brands and historically acknowledged teams. Also, two teams abounding admirers adulation to hate. No amount the committee's decision, there will be complaints of discrimination and cabal theories.
Did you apperceive Ohio State's able-bodied director, Gene Smith, is on the committee? He is recused back the Buckeyes are discussed, and you can bet there will be a lot of altercation about 'Bama and the Buckeyes.
The lobbying started anon afterwards the Buckeyes handed Wisconsin its aboriginal accident of the season, 27-21, in the Big Ten appellation bold Saturday night.
Alabama drillmaster Nick Saban was on ESPN's "SportsCenter" authoritative his pitch: "I anticipate you accept to attending at the accomplished anatomy of work. The absolute season. If you attending at it like that I anticipate our aggregation gets able application and is actual admirable to be in the playoff."
At about the aforementioned time, Ohio State drillmaster Urban Meyer was accepting a Big Ten championship bays in Indianapolis, touting his team: "We accept two wins over two top-four teams (Penn State was No. 2 back the Buckeyes exhausted it). We're the appointment champions. We deserve a shot."
The case for and adjoin each:
Alabama (11-1, CFP No. 5)
Pros
— The Crimson Tide consistently win the eye test. No aggregation has a added accomplished and added roster.
— Alabama's abandoned accident was by 12 at Auburn (10-3), a aggregation that alike afterwards accident the SEC appellation bold to Georgia apparently will accomplishment in the committee's top 10.
— Other than the Auburn game, Alabama's abandoned absolute claiming came at Mississippi State. The Tide won by eight at Texas A&M, but the Aggies denticulate in the aftermost 20 abnormal to accomplish that attending afterpiece than it was.
Cons
— Alabama's best victories will be adjoin LSU (9-3) and Mississippi State (8-4). They are acceptable the abandoned teams Alabama exhausted that will be ranked Sunday. LSU was 17 aftermost week.
— Alabama did not win its division, let abandoned its conference. That was not a botheration aftermost year for Ohio State, but those 11-1 Buckeyes had victories over three top-10 teams and a three-point accident on the alley to addition top-10 team.
Ohio State (11-2, CFP No. 8)
Pros
— The Buckeyes do aloof accomplished with the eye test, too.
— Ohio State has victories adjoin three teams (Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State) that are all acceptable to be ranked advanced of Alabama's best victory.
— The Buckeyes are Big Ten champions, and alternative board agreement directs the board to use championships won as article of a tiebreaker if teams are similar.
Cons
— The Buckeyes not abandoned absent twice, but both loses were by double-digits, including a 31-point beating at Iowa (7-5).
— Did we acknowledgment that the Buckeyes absent 55-24 to Iowa?
Strength of schedule, according to Sagarin ratings.
Alabama, 54th toughest in Analysis I.
Ohio State, 42nd afore arena Wisconsin.
The System
Last analysis Ohio State became the aboriginal aggregation to accomplish the playoff afterwards acceptable its conference. This analysis the Buckeyes are aggravating to become the aboriginal aggregation with two losses to get in. If Alabama gets in, it will be the aboriginal time two teams from the aforementioned appointment get in. And while the SEC about has been the best or abutting to the best appointment in academy football, this has not been a analysis in which it has stood acutely aloft the rest.
Ohio State got in aftermost year afterwards acceptable the Big Ten and the alliance champion, Penn State, did not. What is the committee's appetence for abrogation two Power Five conferences out of the playoff (sorry, Pac-12)? It should not matter. The board is answerable with acrimonious the best four teams. But you can't advice but admiration if it plays into the anticipation process.
GOING HOME A CHAMPION
All signs acicular in this administration so it was no abruptness when, afterwards Scott Frost was done arch Central Florida to the American Able-bodied Appointment championship, he was appear as Nebraska's abutting coach.
The Knights are best and acceptable branch to the Peach Bowl as the highest-ranked best from alfresco the Power Five conferences. No agnosticism some admirers will admiration why UCF doesn't get a adventitious to comedy in the final four, but the agenda lacks big nonconference wins. It ability not be fair, but unless the playoff expands, it will consistently be a continued attempt for the teams alfresco the Power Five.
HUSKIES?
TCU's accident could accessible up a atom in the New Year's Six for a aggregation that has not been talked about abundant back the rankings started advancing out. Washington was 13th aftermost week, appropriate abaft Stanford and TCU, which both lost. Unless TCU (10-3) stays advanced or the board reconsiders Notre Dame (9-3), the Huskies (10-2) could be headed to the Cotton Bowl.
PROJECTIONS
Here's how the New Year's Six could agitate out.
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama
Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Georgia
Fiesta Bowl: USC vs. Ohio State
Peach Bowl: UCF vs. Auburn
Cotton Bowl: Washington vs. Penn State
Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP
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